The best budget over ear headphones

The Beats Solo 3 Wireless boast a subdued, fashion-conscious on-ear design with pleather ear pads, though their clamping force may cause discomfort for some, especially those wearing glasses. These headphones integrate Apple's W1 chip, offer fast charging, and support AAC for high-quality streaming on iOS devices, along with Android fast pairing and a 3.5mm input for wired listening. We found the sound quality to be a crowd-pleaser with amplified low notes, making them suitable for hip-hop and pop, although midrange clarity is fairly poor and distortion is on the poorer side. The microphone performance is needs-suiting, meaning it's acceptable for calls but not for high-quality recording. Isolation is just okay as there is no active noise canceling, with high-frequency noises tempered but low-frequency sounds like jet engines easily cutting through. Our testing revealed an incredible 45 hours and 8 minutes of battery life, complemented by Fast Fuel technology that provides 180 minutes of playtime from just five minutes of charging.

The Beats Studio Pro are a basic, light, and cheap-feeling set of active noise canceling headphones, built mostly of plastic, which unfortunately puts a lot of pressure on the skull with its stiff band and scant padding, and the small ear cups can cause fit issues for average-sized ears. Despite being an Apple product, these headphones surprisingly lack an H1/H2 chip or multipoint, but they uniquely feature a USB DAC for wired USB-C audio, alongside head-tracked Spatial Audio, Find My, fast-pairing, and Transparency Mode. We found the sound signature to be surprisingly balanced, favoring clear highs over heavy bass, with clear vocals and decent bass response, though some might find the treble a bit intense on certain tracks. Microphone performance is disappointing, with poor noise rejection allowing other activities to be clearly heard, and the mic system sensitivity is very low, making recordings quiet. The active noise canceling is really good if you can achieve a proper fit, deadening most unpleasant commuting sounds by 50-90%, but performance drops with a less-than-stellar seal. In our testing, the Beats Studio Pro delivered 31 hours and 25 minutes of battery life on a full charge.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones prioritize comfort and fit with wide ear cups and soft padding that create a good seal, weighing a mere 253g and accommodating thin glasses frames, though they lack an IP rating for moisture protection. These headphones feature a multifunction button, a power button, and a touch-sensitive strip for volume control, connecting via Bluetooth 5.3 with Snapdragon Sound and aptX Lossless support, and a 2.5mm to 3.5mm cable for wired listening, but notably lack USB-C audio passthrough. We had a good time with the sound quality, noting that the headphones deliver a consistently decent experience with good recreation of sound that will satisfy most listeners, though they do exhibit a little channel balance wonkiness and the immersive mode introduced audio quality issues. The microphone array performs quite well at isolating your voice from other environmental noises in challenging situations. True to Bose's reputation, the active noise canceling is rock-solid, dispelling outside noise by about 87% for sounds like bus engines and airplane whines, complemented by excellent isolation and a very good Aware Mode. Under our standardized test protocol, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones lasted for 27 hours and 37 minutes of continuous playback.

The Bose QuietComfort Headphones offer a familiar and comfortable design with large, lightweight ear cups and soft padding, making them friendly for extended listening sessions. Control is intuitive with easy-to-reach physical buttons for playback, volume, and an action button to toggle listening modes, mute calls, or trigger shortcuts, and the Bose Music app allows for adjusting noise cancellation levels and saving presets, though they only support SBC and AAC codecs and lack USB-C audio. We found that out of the box, the sound should be pretty decent to most people, although the sub-bass is dramatically over-emphasized, making mids feel weak, and huge swings in the highs can make music sound "off." The microphone handles wind noise well, but we found noise rejection to be an issue during calls. These headphones provide reasonably good noise canceling, dispelling between 10 and 30dB of noise under 1kHz, effectively reducing engine and street noise by 50-85%, supported by good isolation from the well-proportioned ear cups. In our standardized test conditions, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones delivered 27 hours and 14 minutes of battery life.

The Edifier W820NB Plus feature a smooth, simple matte grey finish with roomy ear cups and a cushy headband for a comfortable fit and quality seal, though they do not fold up for portability, lack an IP rating, and can cause heat build-up around the ears. These headphones connect via Bluetooth 5.2, supporting LDAC, AAC, SBC codecs, and Hi-Res audio, and notably offer audio over wired USB-C, but they do not feature multipoint. The Edifier W820NB Plus present an excellent sound that most listeners will enjoy, following our headphone preference curve quite closely, though engaging ANC can result in losing some low-end frequencies, and the app only offers four EQ presets rather than a customizable graphic EQ. We found the microphone to provide mostly clear voices, though with some clipping in the audio, and while it does a decent job with office noise, it struggles in windy conditions. For their price, these headphones offer decent passive noise isolation and active noise canceling that excels at nulling out the low-end rumble of a city bus, especially around 100Hz. In our standardized battery test, the W820NB Plus lasted 31 hours and 49 minutes with ANC on, with a 10-minute charge providing 7 hours of additional playback.

The Heavys H1H headphones are remarkably comfortable despite their large size, featuring a cushy headband and roomy ear cups that provide a quality seal, with the added customization of swappable earcup shells, though they lack any water resistance rating. These headphones boast a unique 8-driver design per side, support Bluetooth 5.1 with SBC, AAC, and aptX adaptive codecs, and offer both 3.5mm wired and USB-C audio connections, complete with a physical volume knob that doubles as a play/pause button and a transparent mode. As musicians, we were highly satisfied with the sound quality for heavy music, noting details in timed delay effects, excellent low-end punch and snare snap, crisp and defined distorted guitars, clarity, and separation of synths, and enormous low-end resonance. The review confirms that you can take calls with the H1H headphones, though it does not provide further details on microphone performance. The "Hellblocker Noise Cancelation (ANC)" effectively keeps outside noises at bay, with a transparent mode available, though activating ANC results in a slight loss of bass response. The review does not specify battery life for the Heavys H1H headphones.

The Sony WH-1000XM6 features a design that addresses past gripes, including a more robust hinge and a wider band structure for comfort across different head sizes, though the pads are relatively thin, and the ANC mic can protrude and touch the ear. These flagship headphones are packed with features like a 10-band equalizer, EQ presets, and spatial audio via the 360 Reality Audio platform accessible through the Sony Sound Connect app, connecting via Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC, AAC, SBC, and LC3 codecs, and a 3.5mm TRRS cable, but notably omit wired USB-C audio. We found these to be measurably the best-sounding Sony WH-1000X-series headphones yet, offering a sound that is more preferable to many listeners as it does not underemphasize certain regions in the highs by default. The 6-mic beamforming array, trained with AI, does a fantastic job of handling outside noise, including wind, during phone calls, making voices clear. The Sony WH-1000XM6 provides competent noise canceling, bolstered by very strong isolation that makes high-frequency incidental noise much less likely to reach your ears, though those with glasses might experience unpredictable low-end noise cancellation. After our standardized battery test, the headphones lasted for 37 hours and 14 minutes, with a rapid charge providing 3 hours of listening from just 3 minutes.

When considering these wireless headphones, a non-audio-hobbyist audience will find distinct advantages across the lineup. For those prioritizing sheer battery endurance and Apple ecosystem integration, the Beats Solo 3 Wireless offer an impressive 45 hours of playback and fast charging, but with basic noise isolation and poor midrange clarity. If active noise canceling is paramount and comfort is less of a concern for smaller heads, the Beats Studio Pro deliver really good ANC and a surprisingly balanced sound, but with notable discomfort issues and disappointing microphone performance. For Android users seeking cutting-edge wireless technology and excellent noise cancellation, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are a strong contender with aptX Lossless and Snapdragon Sound, alongside rock-solid ANC, but at a premium price. The Bose QuietComfort Headphones offer a familiar, comfortable design and good noise canceling for commuters, but their over-emphasized sub-bass might not appeal to everyone, and they lack modern features like USB-C audio. If you're on a tight budget and need good all-around performance with USB-C audio, the Edifier W820NB Plus stand out with excellent sound for their price, decent ANC, and good battery life, though they aren't foldable. For a niche audience of heavy music enthusiasts, the Heavys H1H provide a comfortable fit and exceptional sound quality tailored for their genre, but come with the trade-off of no specified battery life or water resistance. Finally, for those seeking a highly refined all-rounder with excellent sound, strong ANC, and advanced features, the Sony WH-1000XM6 are measurably the best-sounding in their series with great mic quality, though they skip wired USB-C audio and may present fit issues with thin ear pads. For most general users, we recommend prioritizing the combination of strong active noise canceling, comfortable fit, and balanced sound. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, if within budget, offer a compelling future-proof package, while the Sony WH-1000XM6 delivers a polished, premium experience for an all-rounder.